Department for Transport

International Civil Aviation Organisation

Mark Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government plans to advocate a unilateral approach to airport staff screening at the International Civil Aviation Organization in 2019 as opposed to the mutual recognition approach discussed at the Transatlantic Aviation Security Industry Roundtable in 2018.

Jesse Norman: The UK Government has consistently advocated, in the International Civil Aviation Organization and in other forums, a global approach to tackling insider threat at airports based on 100% screening of staff, randomness and unpredictability as part of that screening, and background checks of staff working in secure areas or with access to sensitive security information.

Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Tolls

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the level of annual Dart Charge (a) road user charge and (b) enforcement write-offs in respect of the Dartford-Thurrock river crossing since the introduction of the Dart Charge in November 2014.

Jesse Norman: The table below sets out the annual position as published within the Dartford-Thurrock River Crossing annual accounts, as well as the cumulative total. It should be noted that no Penalty Charge Notice cases were formally written off in 2014/15 - the write-off would have materialised in 2015/16. In respect of 2018/19, this information will be available once the annual accounts are published in January 2020.  £m2014/152015/162016/172017/18Totala. RUC0.00.56.24.511.1b. PCN’s0.010.342.438.591.2Total0.010.748.743.0102.4 Source: Dartford & Thurrock River Crossing Accounts 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18.

Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Tolls

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of annual write-offs have related to penalty charges not issued on a timely basis since the introduction of the Dart Charge in November 2014.

Jesse Norman: Since 2015/16, Highways England (HE) have been required to record estimated revenue loss in respect of Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) not issued when they should have been. These figures are included within the annual accounts and are tabled below. In respect of 2018/19, this information will be available once the accounts are published in January 2020. 2015/162016/172017/18£8.8m£2.0m-£4.0m£0.4m-£3.0m Source: Dartford & Thurrock River Crossing Accounts 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18.

Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Tolls

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what penalty clauses are in place in the Dart Charge operator’s contract in relation to penalty charges not issued on a timely basis.

Jesse Norman: The DFFC (Dartford Free Flow Charging) contract includes a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) which measures timely issuance of enforcement documentation. This KPI covers the issuance of the following documentation: Penalty Charges; Charge Certificates; Order for Recovery and Warrant of Execution. Enforcement documentation which does not meet set times can attract service points which equate to a financial penalty to the operator

Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Tolls

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the protocol is for the annual write-off of irrecoverable Dart Charge debts; and whether there is ministerial sign-off of those debts.

Jesse Norman: Irrecoverable cases have been written off in accordance with a defined set of agreed business rules which were reviewed and agreed with the National Audit Office as the auditing authority. Only cases that are assessed to be beyond likely recovery at economic cost are written off. The Minister does not formally approve the write-off of these cases but is required to review and approve the annual accounts prior to formal sign-off by Highways England’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Finance Officer.

Driving: Mobile Phones

Alex Chalk: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what further steps his Department plans to take to educate people on the dangers of using a mobile phone while driving.

Jesse Norman: The Government is concerned about drivers who use a hand-held mobile phone while driving. This is a reckless activity which increases the likelihood of a collision four-fold. The fine increased from £100 to £200, and the penalty points increased from three to six points for all drivers. These increases came into effect in March 2017. The Government also recognises the importance of educating drivers about the risks involved in using a hand-held mobile phone while driving. In addition to advice in the Highway Code and on www.gov.uk,The THINK! Campaigns are designed to educate drivers and promote road safety, which includes supporting a change in behaviour on using mobile phones when driving. Details of the THINK! campaigns can be found at http://think.direct.gov.uk/mobile-phones.html The Department’s policy on the use of mobile phones while driving will be kept under review and consideration will be given to the impact of the recent change in law and the THINK! campaigns in due course.

Aviation: Passengers

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the proposed Passenger Charter set out in his Aviation 2050 document will incorporate services provided by Border Force and NATS in addition to other parts of industry including airlines and airports; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: The Aviation 2050 green paper includes a proposal for a Passenger Charter to set out the standard of service that passengers should expect before, during and after their journeys. This consultation closes on 20 June and no final decisions on content have been taken. As set out in the green paper, the proposal includes service levels for processing passengers by Border Force. There are no plans at present to incorporate the services of NATS.

Cycling and Walking: Infrastructure

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to meet the specified deadline to develop the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan.

Jesse Norman: Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) were introduced through the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy of April 2017 and are used by Local Authorities to identify and prioritise investment for cycling and walking schemes from local funds and relevant national funding streams. The Department for Transport is supporting the first tranche of 46 LCWIP authorities, the majority of which are on track to meet the deadline of November 2019 to produce their plans. Decisions on further future funding for cycling and walking will be made in the context of the forthcoming Spending Review.

Bus Services: Liverpool City Region

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has for regulating bus services throughout the Liverpool city region.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The bus market in England outside London is deregulated. The Bus Services Act 2017 introduced new bus franchising powers for local authorities as well as providing other tools, such as Enhanced Partnership between operators and local transport authorities, to improve bus services.Mayoral Combined Authorities, such as Liverpool, have automatic access to franchising powers in the Act, reflecting the clear, centralised decision making responsibility for transport they hold.

Government Departments: Trade Unions

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether restrictions are placed on departmental trade unions in respect of recruiting staff to join a trade union.

Jesse Norman: The Department for Transport’s induction pack for new entrants includes the wording:“The department encourages you to join an officially recognised Trade Union and to play an active part within it to ensure your views are represented. It is, of course a personal decision whether or not you do join a Trade Union.” When a trade union is actively in dispute with the Department and taking or preparing for industrial action, the Department may choose not to extend departmental facilities to the union for recruitment and other activities aimed at promoting or preparing for the industrial action.

Rapid Transit Systems

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to support the introduction and expansion of very light railway systems in towns and cities across the UK.

Jesse Norman: The Department for Transport recently published a call for evidence inviting views on how the Government and private sector can help harness the opportunities for building on the popularity of light rail, including other such rapid transit systems such as very light rail. https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/light-rail-and-other-rapid-transit-solutions-in-cities-and-towns-call-for-evidence The call for evidence closes on the 19 May 2019.

Roads: Freight

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the report entitled, Identifying the Multimodal Strategic Freight Network and the Value of Improving its Operation, published by the UK Major Ports Group, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the cost of bottleneck junctions in (a) Bramley, Hampshire and (b) the UK.

Andrew Jones: In Control Period 5 (2014-2019), Government made available £235m through the Strategic Freight Network fund, investing in projects to support rail freight growth. The route out of the Port of Southampton is benefiting from a programme of investment to enable longer freight trains to operate between there and the North / Midlands.There is funding available in Control Period 6 (2019-2024) for continued improvements to the rail network. Government is working with Network Rail and the freight industry to develop options for investment over the next five years.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Chief Scientific Advisers

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many meetings he had with his Department’s Chief Scientific Adviser between 1 December 2018 and 28 February 2019.

Chris Skidmore: The Chief Scientific Adviser had no meetings with my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State between 1 December 2018 and 28 February 2019. The Chief Scientific Adviser met with the Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation on 29 January 2019.

Hinkley Point B Power Station: Closures

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 1 March 2019 to Question 226169 on Hinkley Point B Power Station: Closures, what plans the Government has to replace the 965 megawatts generation capacity of Hinkley Point B; and what the timescales are for implementing the replacement of that capacity.

Richard Harrington: Holding answer received on 14 March 2019



There are a range of options for replacing this capacity over the coming decades. This Government remains committed to delivering secure, low cost electricity to consumers. We agreed to the first new nuclear power station in a generation at Hinkley Point C, which will provide 3.2 gigawatts of secure, low carbon electricity for at least 60 years and power nearly 6 million homes. We also procured over 3GW of offshore wind in a single Contract for Difference auction in our 2017 auction – at a price of £57.50 per megawatt hour.

Hartlepool Power Station: Closures

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 1 March 2019 to Question 226166 on Hartlepool Power Station: Closures, what plans the Government has to replace the 1185 MW generation capacity of Hartlepool; and what the timescales are for the replacement of that capacity.

Richard Harrington: Holding answer received on 14 March 2019



There are a range of options for replacing this capacity over the coming decades. This Government remains committed to delivering secure, low cost electricity to consumers through a diverse energy mix including renewables and nuclear new build. We agreed to the first new nuclear power station in a generation at Hinkley Point C, which will provide 3.2 gigawatts of secure, low carbon electricity for at least 60 years and power nearly 6 million homes.

Heysham 1 Power Station: Closures

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 1 March to Question 226167 on Heysham 1 Power Station: Closures, what plans the Government has to replace the 1155 megawatts generation capacity of Heysham 1; and what the timescales are for that replacement capacity.

Richard Harrington: There are a range of options for replacing this capacity over the coming decades. This Government remains committed to delivering secure, low cost electricity to consumers through a diverse energy mix including renewables and nuclear new build. We agreed to the first new nuclear power station in a generation at Hinkley Point C, which will provide 3.2 gigawatts of secure, low carbon electricity for at least 60 years and power nearly 6 million homes.

Fracking

Sir Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of the March 2019 UK Onshore Oil and Gas report entitled Home grown UK shale gas: a bigger opportunity; and whether he has made an estimate of the date on which the UK will become a net exporter of gas.

Claire Perry: The Government is supportive of developing the shale gas industry in the UK in a safe and sustainable way. It is not yet known how much of the UK shale gas resource will ultimately be recoverable, or what rates of extraction, deliverability or reliability could be assumed if shale sources are found to be viable. Therefore the likely impact on UK natural gas imports and exports is not yet known. The Government will continue to work with responsible companies prepared to invest in this industry as they proceed with the exploration process, to test the size and value of the potential reserves. We monitor the progress of the shale gas industry and will revise our estimates, as appropriate, as the industry develops.

Renewable Energy: West Midlands

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what proportion of the UK’s renewable energy supply in the last 12 months was generated from the West Midlands metro area.

Claire Perry: BEIS holds data for electricity generation from renewable sources at a local authority level. We do not hold data for renewable heat production or liquid biofuel production at this level of regional disaggregation. The latest available figures are for 2017, these are published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/regional-renewable-statistics. 271 GWh of electricity was generated from renewable sources in the West Midlands metropolitan area in 2017. This accounted for 0.3 per cent of the UK total. This is calculated as an aggregate of the generation within the following local authority areas: Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton. 2078 GWh of electricity was generated in the West Midlands region from renewable sources in 2017. This accounted for 2.1 per cent of the UK total. Data for 2018 will be published in September 2019.

Electricity Interconnectors: Planning Permission

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether an interconnector development has taken place as a result of a decision by the Planning Inspectorate; and if he will make a statement.

Claire Perry: No application for consent for an interconnector has been submitted under the Planning Act 2008 regime.

Tidal Power and Wave Power: Finance

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer to 11 March to Question 228713 on Nuclear Reactors, what direct funding is available for a feasibility and development project for (a) tidal and (b) wave energy projects.

Claire Perry: Whilst there is no direct, targeted funding planned in the current spending review to support the feasibility and development of marine energy projects, several wider cross cutting funding routes have been, and will continue to be, available to the sector. These include numerous previous phases of the Energy Entrepreneurs Fund and Innovate UK’s Smart Grant Fund, the latest round of which is open for proposals until 24th April.

Nuclear Reactors

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what progress his Department is making in its assessment of the merits and development of small modular nuclear reactors.

Richard Harrington: Our landmark Nuclear Sector Deal announced up to £56m to support the development of advanced nuclear technologies, including small and advanced modular reactors. Of this, up to £44m is for the Advanced Modular Reactor (AMR) Feasibility and Development project. We have received all 8 feasibility studies for Phase 1 and are assessing these now. We aim to announce any contracts for the next phase in the Summer. The Expert Finance Working Group on Small Reactors, which was set to advise Government on how small reactor projects could raise private investment in the UK, submitted its independent report to Government in August 2018. We are considering the report and its recommendations and will announce next steps in due course. We are also considering a proposal from a UK Consortium led by Rolls-Royce that could result in a significant joint investment. We expect to make a decision on this in the Spring.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Research

Sir Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of ring-fencing Medical Research Council funds for biomedical research into ME in order to ensure that overall research funding for ME is proportional to that spent on research into similarly prevalent health conditions.

Chris Skidmore: The Medical Research Council (MRC) is part of the BEIS partner organisation, UK Research and Innovation. The MRC supports research relating to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) in response to high-quality proposals from the research community. The MRC does not generally ring-fence funding for specific conditions, however CFS/ME is an identified priority area for the MRC. Proposals are particularly encouraged in areas that explore the underpinning mechanisms of CFS/ME (including immune dysregulation), pain, improved sub-phenotyping and stratification of CFS/ME disease, and mechanisms of CFS/ME in children. All proposals are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made according to their scientific quality and importance to human health.

Photonics: Research

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much funding the Government has allocated to research into (a) photonics and (b) optoelectronics in each (a) nation and (b) region of the UK in each year for which data is available.

Chris Skidmore: Holding answer received on 18 March 2019



UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funds high quality research and innovation for BEIS as part of the Government’s wider ambition to increase the UK’s total R&D investment to 2.4% of GDP by 2027. All proposals are assessed through peer review and funding is not usually ringfenced for particular research areas or topics. Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) is the primary funder of these areas within UKRI. The table below summarises the value of all current grants from EPSRC, in research and training for the relevant research portfolios: Photonic Materials, Optoelectronic Devices and a combined figure for Optical Communications and Optical Devices and Subsystems. Please note other research is being carried out in this area, both in other UKRI councils and outside of UKRI, but we are unable to determine the monetary value of this in the time allowed.Photonic MaterialsOptoelectronic Devices and CircuitsResearch into other Photonic Technology (Communications and  Optical Devices)YearResearchTrainingResearchTrainingResearchTraining2018£ 65.78M£ 19.43M£ 51.92M£ 5.76M£48.21M£12.71M2017£ 65.46M£ 21.40M£ 54.87M£ 6.56M£51.87M£11.57M2016£ 60.29M£ 18.74M£ 48.24M£ 6.63M£48.97M£10.67M  My rt. hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the Spring Statement an £81 million investment in a national Extreme Photonics Application Centre in Oxfordshire. In addition, EPSRC has confirmed continued funding for two existing Centres for Doctoral Training in ICT Photonics as well as investment in a new CDT which will contribute to this area

Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

Dame Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Government's Industrial Strategy, what plans the Government has to support the UK automotive industry in the ambition set out in the that strategy to secure the UK’s position as a world leader in shaping the future of mobility.

Richard Harrington: The Government has a long-standing programme of support to maintain the competitiveness of the UK automotive sector. Through our Industrial Strategy and landmark Automotive Sector Deal, we are placing the UK at the forefront of new automotive technology development.Government and industry have pledged joint commitment of £1 billion over 10 years to 2023 for the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) with three APC competitions running this year. Government has committed £246m to the Faraday Battery Challenge including £80m for the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre to scale up new technologies. And in the last Budget, Government committed up to £80m for research and development of electric motor technology. The Sector Deal also includes £32 million of joint funding for an industry-led supply chain competitiveness programme to help grow the UK supply chain and assure international competitiveness.In May 2018, as part of the Future of Mobility Grand Challenge, my rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced our intention for the UK to be at the forefront of the design and manufacturing of zero emission vehicles and in July we published Road to Zero to deliver on that commitment. As well as the technology investment, we have committed £1.5bn for consumer incentives, charging infrastructure and R&D to support the transition to zero emission vehicles.We are determined to ensure that the UK continues to be one of the most competitive locations in the world for future automotive investment, alongside other advanced manufacturing.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Iraq: Christianity

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he is making to his Iraqi counterpart on the persecution of Christians in that country.

Alistair Burt: We regularly engage with the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government on the need to protect the rights of Christians and other religious minorities. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon raised this with Iraqi Foreign Minister Al-Hakim in December 2018. We continue to follow this issue actively. During my visit to Iraq in January I discussed the situation of Christians with the Archbishop of Erbil and in February Our Ambassador to Iraq visited Christian communities in six towns across the Ninewa Plain of north-western Iraq, previously occupied by Daesh.

Tibet: Human Rights

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made recent representations to his counterpart in China on allowing independent human rights observers into Tibet; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Field: We are concerned about the human rights situation in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) including restrictions on freedom of religion or belief, and restrictions on freedom of assembly and association. We regard the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). We consistently urge China to respect all fundamental rights across the PRC, including in Tibet, in line with both its own constitution and the international frameworks to which it is a party. We believe meaningful dialogue between the Chinese Government and representatives from Tibet (including the ‘Tibetan Government in Exile’) is the best way to address and resolve underlying tensions, and we urge all sides to restart talks. We raised our concerns about Tibet during China’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in November 2018. We asked an advanced question about Tibet and included our concerns in our statement.​

Commonwealth: Foreign Relations

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to deepen ties with Commonwealth states after the UK leaves the EU.

Alistair Burt: The UK has long standing ties with the Commonwealth through our shared history, language, values and legal system. As current Chair-in-Office we continue to work with the Commonwealth Secretariat, member states and the Commonwealth organisations and networks to ensure that the Commonwealth realises its full potential, by promoting democratic values and development, increasing trade, helping tackle global challenges such as extremism and climate change, and standing up for small states. As my Rt Hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary set out in his Written Ministerial Statement on 14 January, we are making concrete progress in delivering on commitments made at last year's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting to enhance security, prosperity, fairness and sustainability.As part of our commitment to the Commonwealth, the former Foreign Secretary announced last year our intention to open 9 new missions in Commonwealth countries (Lesotho, Eswatini, The Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu). We expect these missions to open this year. Opening missions in these countries will expand the UK's diplomatic network from 38 to 47 Commonwealth members – a practical demonstration of our ambition and intent to increase the resources which the Government is devoting to Commonwealth member states.

Algeria: Elections

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Algerian counterparts on the postponed presidential elections in that country.

Alistair Burt: We have discussed recent developments in Algeria with Algerian officials at a variety of levels.

Algeria: Elections

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential for civil unrest as a result of the postponed Algerian presidential elections.

Alistair Burt: ​We are aware of the ongoing demonstrations in Algeria and President Bouteflika’s announcement that elections are to be postponed. We are following developments.

Middle East: Migrant Camps

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 27 February 2019 to Question 230624, if his Department will make an assessment of the number of UK citizens living in refugee camps in (a) Iraq, (b) Jordan, (c) Lebanon, (d) Syria and (e) Turkey.

Alistair Burt: ​We are aware of reports of some British citizens living in displaced persons camps in Syria but have not been made aware of any British citizens living in refugee camps in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. We therefore have no current plans to make an overall assessment.

Ilois: Finance

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2019 to Question 230807 on Ilois Finance, how many visits £312,899.37 has financed, and how many Chagossians have to date (a) expressed interest but not yet participated and (b) participated in those visits from (i) Seychelles, (ii) Mauritius, (iii) the UK and (iv) other countries.

Sir Alan Duncan: 76 Chagossians have participated in five Heritage Visits to date which have been funded by the Support Package. This breaks down by country: Seychelles: 7Mauritius: 18UK: 51Other countries: 0 There have been 156 initial expressions of interest who have not participated in a Heritage Visit. Not all went onto complete questionnaires, and of those who did, not all met the requirements to participate in a Heritage Visit.

Sri Lanka: Human Rights

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2019 to Question 230918, what plans the Government has to conclude the mandate of UN Human Rights Council resolutions 30/1 and 34/1 on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka.

Mark Field: The UK continues to encourage and support Sri Lanka to deliver the commitments it made to the UN Human Rights Council through Resolutions 30/1 and 34/1. As stated in my written answer on 14 March 2019, we firmly believe that this is the best framework for establishing truth and to achieve justice and lasting reconciliation. I have made these points personally to Sri Lankan Ministers. I welcome Sri Lanka's announcement that it will co-sponsor a roll-over Resolution at the current session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, continuing its commitments to its reconciliation process.The UK welcomed the Annual Report of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on 21 March 2018, which assessed progress made by the Sri Lankan government in the implementation of UN Human Rights Council resolution 30/1 and 34/1. The report found that the Government of Sri Lanka has taken some steps to address human rights concerns and to introduce more democratic and accountable government.These include the return of some military-held civilian land, the establishment of an Office of Missing Persons and the ratification of the Convention on Enforced Disappearances. However, as I made clear to a range of senior Ministers on my visit to Colombo in October, more needs to be done. I have urged further progress on these issues, and encouraged the Government of Sri Lanka to deliver meaningful devolution through constitutional reform, and to establish credible mechanisms for transitional justice.The United Kingdom has made a long-term commitment to improving human rights in Sri Lanka, and is dedicated to supporting the rebuilding of the country after three decades of conflict. The British High Commission in Colombo is in regular contact with the Government of Sri Lanka and other key stakeholders to encourage and support the implementation of Resolution 30/1.

Department of Health and Social Care

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the PACE trial of therapies on reducing the effects of (a) myalgic encephalomyelitis and (b) chronic fatigue syndrome.

Steve Brine: The PACE trial, undertaken by Queen Mary University of London, was the largest ever trial of therapies for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME). The trial aimed to test and compare the effectiveness of four of the main treatments available for people CFS/ME. These were adaptive pacing therapy, cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), graded exercise therapy, and standardised specialist medical care (SMC). The five-year trial involved over 600 participants, aged 18 and over, in Scotland and England. The first set of results from the trial were published in 2011 in the Lancet, and a number of other evaluations based on the trial have been published since. The trial results found both CBT and GET were moderately effective when provided alongside SMC and were better than adaptive pacing therapy or SMC alone in improving both symptoms and disability. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline ‘Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (or encephalopathy): Diagnosis and management of CFS/ME in adults and children’, sets outs best practice for clinicians on the diagnosis, treatment, care and support of people with the condition. The guideline recommends CBT and GET as appropriate treatments for mild to moderate CFS/ME, in line with the best available evidence. The NICE guideline acknowledges that there is no one form of treatment to suit every patient and that treatment and care should take into account the personal needs and preferences of the patient. Decisions concerning the appropriateness of treatments should be made on a case by case basis. On 20 September 2017, NICE announced its decision to undertake a full update of the guideline, following a review of the latest available evidence on the diagnosis and management of CFS/ME and a public consultation. New guidance is expected in October 2020. More information on this decision can be found at the following link: www.nice.org.uk/news/article/nice-to-begin-review-of-its-guidance-on-the-diagnosis-and-treatment-of-cfs-me

Health Services: Equality

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to allocate funding for the ten-year review of progress on reducing health inequalities since the publication of the report entitled Fair Society, Healthy Lives, published by Michael Marmot.

Jackie Doyle-Price: We have no current plans to allocate funding to the Institute of Health Equity and Health Foundation review of Fair Society, Healthy Lives. We look forward to seeing the review’s conclusions in February 2020. Reducing health inequalities remains a priority for the Department and is central to the NHS Long Term Plan and the Secretary of State’s prevention priority.

Health Services: Birmingham

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Care Quality Commission report on medical services for homeless citizens in Birmingham, published in October 2018, when he plans to re-tender the service; and if he will lay a copy of the specification for their service in the Library.

Steve Brine: The provision of this service is the responsibility of the local clinical commissioning group, (Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group). The current service will remain in place until the clinical commissioning group considers and agrees its commissioning plan for the service going forward; it is anticipated that the plan will be agreed in the very near future.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of the proposed NHS Tariff and its alignment with the commitments set out in the NHS 10 Point Efficiency Plan on reducing infection rates in hospitals in the field of ophthalmology.

Stephen Hammond: The national tariff is not designed to incentivise or reward providers around infection rates. Other mechanisms are employed to support the National Health Service to reduce infection rates.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress the Government has made on reducing infection rates in hospitals; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Brine: Public Health England (PHE) collects data on the number of healthcare associated infections as part of the English Surveillance Programme for Antimicrobial Utilisation and Resistance, available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/english-surveillance-programme-antimicrobial-utilisation-and-resistance-espaur-reportThe latest data show cases of hospital-onset Clostridium difficile infection decreased by 18% from 1,149 in October-December 2017 to 938 in the same period in 2018. Hospital-onset Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Escherichia coli bloodstream infections remained stable over the last five years although hospital-onset Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) cases have increased slightly. This data can be found in the Epidemiological Commentary on mandatory surveillance and is available to view at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/739910/Quarterley_Epidemiology_Commentary_September_18.pdfPHE supports NHS Improvement by making local data on rates of healthcare-associated infections available to hospitals and clinical commissioning groups via its Fingertips web portal available at the following link:https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/amr-local-indicators

Ophthalmic Services

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many procedures for glaucoma were undertaken alongside cataract treatment in the last year; and whether his Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of that combined treatment.

Steve Brine: There were 2,742 National Health Service finished consultant episodes in 2017/18 in England, where a procedure for treating cataract and glaucoma occurred at the same time. This is not a count of patients, given patients may have more than one episode of care during the same period. No assessment has been made by the Department of the effectiveness of combining cataract and glaucoma treatment. Decisions on whether to recommend concomitant treatment are for individual clinicians’ taking into account individual clinical circumstances, the patient’s wishes and the best available evidence.

Drugs: Prices

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2019 to Question 226647 on Medical Treatments, from which budget would an increase to the list price of a branded medicine be met in the event that his Department agreed such an increase.

Steve Brine: In such an event, an increase in the list price of a branded medicine cost would be borne by clinical commissioning groups who receive prescribing funding as part of the annual allocations process from NHS England.

Naloxone

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the findings of the February 2019 National Aids Trust report, Drug-related Deaths in England, what steps his Department is taking to ensure adequate provision of naloxone for people at risk of overdose.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the National Aids Trust report of 5 February 2019, Drug-related deaths in England, if the Government will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a national naloxone programme.

Steve Brine: Local authorities are responsible for assessing local needs and commissioning drug prevention, treatment and harm reduction services to meet these needs. This includes making sure they have sufficient coverage of take-home naloxone to prevent drug-related deaths. The Government is encouraging and supporting local areas to expand the provision of naloxone, with guidance, advice and tools.

Drugs: Misuse

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of drug consumption rooms on (a) providing people with harm reduction information and advice and (b) supporting people to engage with a structured drug treatment.

Steve Brine: No assessment of the effectiveness of drug consumption rooms (DCR) has been made. There is no legal framework for the provision of DCRs in the United Kingdom and the Government has no plans to introduce them. Legislation on this issue is a matter for the Home Office.

Dementia: Community Programme

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to support the Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia-friendly communities programme.

Caroline Dinenage: Dementia remains a key priority for the Government. We will implement the Government’s Challenge on Dementia 2020, published in February 2015, in full to make sure the lives of those with dementia are transformed by 2020. Working with our partners, we continue to make progress against the ambitions set out in the March 2016 Implementation Plan which details how the commitments in the Challenge, across the four core themes of risk reduction, health and care, awareness and social action, and research will be met. The Challenge committed to over half of the population of people in England living in areas that have been recognised as dementia friendly communities in line with the guidance developed by Alzheimer’s Society. Working with our partners, we are making great strides in establishing dementia friendly communities. So far 346 areas in England have signed up to become dementia friendly communities.

Eating Disorders: Young People

Gillian Keegan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support young people with eating disorders transferring from children's to adult care services.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Eating Disorder pathway (published 2015) provides guidance on supporting transitions between services. Best practice is also outlined in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) clinical guideline for recognition and treatment of eating disorders (2017) and NICE Quality Standards for Eating Disorders (2018). The NHS Long Term Plan sets out ambitions and additional investment to provide a comprehensive offer for 0 to 25 year olds and improve the community offer for adults with mental health problems, which includes dedicated services for eating disorders. The ambitions aim to improve integration between children and young people’s and adult mental health services to meet the needs of young adults, including those with an eating disorder, and ensure people experience a seamless and continuous treatment pathway.

Beat

Gillian Keegan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what engagement his Department has had with the eating disorder charity Beats.

Jackie Doyle-Price: I last met Beat on 7 November 2017. The Department met Beat early last year to discuss the work they are doing and their ongoing campaigns. The Department recognises the importance of the work they do in terms of raising awareness of eating disorders.

Eating Disorders

Gillian Keegan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the difference in (a) treatments available and (b) waiting times between adult and children's services for patients with eating disorders.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Recommended treatments for eating disorders are set out in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline, ‘Eating disorders: recognition and treatment’. The guideline makes it clear where there are particular treatments or considerations for children and young people. It is available at the following link: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/NG69 To find out more about the treatment available for children and young people, Health Education England has commissioned NHS Benchmarking to collect data on the provision, workforce capacity and skills, and activity of services delivering mental health care. This collection will provide information on the treatments delivered, including by community eating disorder services. Data on waiting times from referral to starting treatment for children and young people with an eating disorder are published every quarter at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/cyped-waiting-times/ Data from the last quarter (October-December 2018) shows that 80.7% of urgent cases start treatment within one week and 86.8% of non-urgent cases starts treatment within four weeks.

Eyesight: Diseases

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the British Ophthalmological Surveillance Unit report of February 2017 on sight loss caused by delayed or cancelled hospital appointments, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the Government's Green Paper on prevention includes measures to tackle changes in the incidence of eye disease.

Steve Brine: We are considering a number of policy options for the prevention green paper and will be mindful of changes in the incidence of eye disease.

Obesity

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he (a) is taking and (b) plans to take to encourage portion control in food and soft drinks.

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a maximum portion size for soft drinks.

Steve Brine: The Eatwell Guide defines the United Kingdom Government’s recommendations on healthy eating. The Guide shows the proportions of the food groups that people should be eating to meet official advice and nutrient requirements; this includes at least five 80 grams portions of fruit and vegetables per day, and at least two 140 grams portions of fish per week, one of which should be oily. There are also recommendations on the maximum consumption of red and processed meat; people who regularly eat more than 90 grams of red or processed meat per day are advised to cut down to no more than an average of 70 grams per day. The Eatwell Guide also displays drinks recommendations of six to eight glasses of fluids per day ideally from water, lower fat milks, and unsweetened tea or coffee. In addition, the Government recommends a maximum of 150 millilitres of fruit juice and smoothies per day. The Eatwell Guide is available to view at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/528193/Eatwell_guide_colour.pdf The Government has challenged all sectors of the food and drinks industry to reduce the sugar content of those foods that contribute significantly to children’s intakes, as part of the Childhood Obesity Plan. Public Health England has set maximum calorie guidelines for products likely to be consumed in a single occasion in the sugar reduction programme. This includes maximum calorie guidelines for juice and milk-based drinks that are excluded from the Soft Drinks Industry Levy. Further information on the sugar reduction programme can be viewed at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sugar-reduction-juice-and-milk-based-drinks

Obesity

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to promote greater consumer awareness on the importance of portion control in food and beverages.

Steve Brine: In 2018 Public Health England launched a campaign to encourage adults to make healthier choices and manage their calorie consumption when eating on the go and out of the home. The One You ‘400-600-600’ campaign aimed to help adults manage their calorie intake by following simple guidance when eating meals out of the home: aim for around 400 calories for breakfast, 600 calories for lunch and 600 calories for dinner. As part of Change4Life’s aim to help families eat well, the campaign reminds parents to think about ‘Me-sized meals’ when it comes to portion sizes for children, as children do not have the same energy requirements from their food as adults. In 2018, Change4Life’s healthier snacking campaign helped families to cut down on the type and amount of snacks they give to their children by following a simple tip to look for 100 calories snacks, two a day maximum.

Mental Illness: Prisoners

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of people serving a prison sentence of less than six months have been assessed as having a mental health need in each of the last five years.

Jackie Doyle-Price: This information is not collected centrally.

Rehabilitation: Prisoners

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time is to access an accredited drug treatment programme in prison in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how long it takes on average to deliver an accredited drug treatment programme in prison in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Information on accredited drug programmes is not collected by the Department. These programmes are designed and delivered by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service. In England, substance misuse treatment is commissioned by NHS England in line with the United Kingdom Guidelines on Clinical Management and the NHS England ‘Substance Misuse in Prisons’ service specification set out at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/service-specification-integrated-substance-misuse-treatment-service-prisons-in-england/ Substance misuse interventions begin at the point of first reception screening in prisons and continue for as long as required – often out into the community post-release.

Down's Syndrome

Fiona Bruce: To ask the  Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 18 February 2018 to Question 217546, on Down's Syndrome, what plans she has to address the effect of her Department's description of Down's Syndrome as an abnormality on (a) people with Down's Syndrome who read or hear that description and (b) familities who read or hear that description of a member of their family either before or after birth.

Jackie Doyle-Price: NHS Fetal Anomaly Screening Programme offers screening to all eligible pregnant women in England to check the baby for 12 fetal anomalies which include Down’s, Edwards’ and Patau’s syndromes. Fetal anomalies are described as structural abnormalities of the developing fetus. The characteristics, causes and complications of Down’s Syndrome are described on NHS.UK and there is additional information on the support available to families expecting, or who have had a baby with Down’s Syndrome. Public Health England provides a Fetal Anomaly Screening Programme Handbook which offers practical guidance to support healthcare professionals in the operational delivery of the screening pathway. NHS England encourages clinical staff to refer to these sources of information when explaining Down’s Syndrome to families. NHS Fetal Anomaly Screening Programme requires that there is equal access to uniform and quality-assured screening across England, and women are provided with high quality information so they can make an personal informed choice about their screening and pregnancy options. Education and training resources are available for staff covering all stages of the process, from informing women of test availability, through to understanding and supporting their decisions.

Pregnancy: Screening

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 18 February 2019 to Question 217546, on Down's Syndrome, what research his Department has conducted on the effect of screening for (a) sickle cell anaemia and (b) gene-linked deafness on people and families who live with those conditions.

Caroline Dinenage: Since 2010, the National Institute for Health Research has funded three studies which provide evidence on the effects of screening for sickle cell anaemia and deafness on individuals and families who live with these conditions:- “Involving fathers in ante-natal screening for sickle cell disorders: improving informed decision making”, which explored fathers’ attitudes and perceptions of the ante-natal testing for sickle cell disorders, identifying potential factors which influence uptake of testing to improve take-up;- “Rethinking Strategies for Positive Newborn Screening Result Delivery (ReSPoND): a process evaluation of co-designing interventions to minimise impact on parental emotional well-being and stress”. This project is active and aims to bring parents and health professionals together to co-design interventions to facilitate effective communication of positive results to parents by health professionals to minimise any long-term negative health and psychological consequences; and- “The diagnostic accuracy of hearing tests and cost-effectiveness of school entry hearing screening programmes”, which asked about the impact for children, and their families, who do not “pass” the screen and are then confirmed to have a hearing loss (true positives) or not (false positives); and the impact for a child who does “pass” the screen but is later found to have a hearing loss.

Department of Health and Social Care: Brexit

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what additional funding for staff (a) his Department and (b) its agencies have received from EU exit funding.

Stephen Hammond: For the 2018/19 financial year, the Department received additional funding of £5.622 million to cover administrative costs of European Union exit which includes, but is not limited to, staff costs for the Department and its agencies.

Hearing Impairment: Medical Treatments

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of potential merits of the NHS offering micro suction treatments to improve hearing (a) in addition to and (b) instead of syringing; what information his Department holds on the number of people whose impaired hearing is not improved by syringing; whether the NHS has plans to introduce micro suction as part of NHS Long-Term Plan; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Dinenage: The management of ear wax removal is a decision that is taken at a local level by each clinical commissioning group informed by relevant clinical guidelines. The Department does not collect data on the impact of not syringing on hearing impairment. There are no plans to introduce micro suction as part of the NHS Long Term Plan. To support local practice the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline ‘NG98 on Hearing loss in adults: assessment and management’, was published in June 2018.

Tomography

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average cost of a (a) CT scanner (b) MRI scanner and (c) LINAC scanner is, and what his Department's policy is on replacing out of date equipment.

Stephen Hammond: The guideline average price available through the NHS Supply Chain for each of the scanners specified is outlined below:- The average cost of a Computed Tomography (CT) Scanner is £536,000;- The average cost of a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scanner is £900,000; and- The average cost of a Linear Accelerator (LINAC) Scanner is £1,500,000. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency provides guidance for healthcare organisations on managing medical devices and sets out a systematic approach to the acquisition, deployment, maintenance, repair, replacement and disposal of medical devices. This guidance is available via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/managing-medical-devices It is the responsibility of individual organisations to set up and develop systems that promote the safe and effective use of medical devices. The capital settlement for future years will be set in the Spending Review later this year, alongside reforms to the capital regime to ensure that the available capital budget is prioritised and allocated to maximum effect to support service transformation, productivity improvement and effective planning and control.

Department for International Development

Developing Countries: Education

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what measures she is taking to ensure that the most marginalised children receive an education.

Harriett Baldwin: Every child deserves a quality education, and the most marginalised children are at the heart of the UK’s commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 4. DFID’s flagship Girls’ Education Challenge is supporting up to 1.5 million disadvantaged girls to get a quality education. We are global leaders in providing education in emergencies and founder of the Inclusive Education Initiative for children with disabilities.

Burma: Trade Promotion

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department was consulted on the decision to host a Myanmar Trade and Investment Conference in London; and what advice she gave on human rights violations in that country.

Alistair Burt: The visit by a Myanmar Business delegation has been led by the Department for International Trade. They have engaged closely with Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development officials, who have been consistent in ensuring human rights remain at the heart of British policy. We believe British businesses, investing responsibly, can play an important role in creating a more open and fairer economy which will be essential to driving positive change in Burma.

Mozambique: Overseas Aid

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions her Department has had with representatives of the Government of Mozambique on potential UK aid in the aftermath of cyclone Idai.

Harriett Baldwin: The UK has been monitoring the situation in Mozambique since last week. The situation is extremely concerning. Beira – a city of half a million people in central Mozambique has been cut off since the weekend with no water or electricity. Other areas are under water. The Government of Mozambique’s Disaster Agency is leading the response and we have been coordinating closely with them. They are being supported by UN agencies, international and local NGOs. The Secretary of State approved an allocation of £4 million from the humanitarian reserve. A plane load of shelter materials landed in Maputo today in response to an initial request. We will continue to work closely with the Government and partners to identify further needs.

Development Aid

Mr Adrian Bailey: What recent assessment she has made of the potential effect on the strength of the UK international development sector of the UK leaving the EU.

Penny Mordaunt: DFID discusses regularly the impact of Exit with development organisations. Leaving the EU will not change the UK’s commitment to support the world’s poorest, and our world-class development sector will continue to be a crucial part of delivering that commitment.

Hospital Ships: Finance

Luke Pollard: What plans her Department has to allocate funding to the introduction of a UK hospital ship.

Penny Mordaunt: As an ambitious and innovative department, we are always looking for ways to collaborate across government to ensure UK aid reaches those who need it the most, while also delivering in our national interest. It is therefore right that we explore innovative new options, and as part of this we are exploring the potential merits of a cross government maritime capability.

Israel: Palestinians

Joan Ryan: What recent assessment she has made of the effect of reductions in US funding for coexistence projects in Israel and Palestine on peace efforts in that region.

Alistair Burt: DFID is concerned by the potential impact of funding reductions in the OPTs, including in the people-to-people sector. Ultimately, the only way for lasting coexistence is through a negotiated two-state solution. DFID remains committed to supporting this through our people-to-people programme and wider support in the economic and human development sectors.

Developing Countries: Education

Mike Wood: What steps she is taking to ensure that the most marginalised children in developing countries receive an education.

Harriett Baldwin: Every child deserves a quality education, and the most marginalised children are central to our commitment. DFID’s Girls’ Education Challenge is supporting up to 1.5 million disadvantaged girls to get an education. We are global leaders on education in emergencies and founder of the Inclusive Education Initiative.

Development Aid

Jo Swinson: What recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the UK commitment to spending 0.7 per cent of national income on development aid.

Penny Mordaunt: I regularly discuss Official Development Assistance with Cabinet colleagues. The Government is committed to spending 0.7 per cent of our Gross National Income on aid, as outlined in the Conservative manifesto and re-affirmed by the Prime Minister on her recent visit to Africa.

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

Hannah Bardell: What recent steps her Department has taken to tackle the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

Alistair Burt: Yemen remains the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with 80% of the population requiring humanitarian assistance. The UK will provide £200 million of support for the coming financial year. This will feed more than a million Yemenis each month over the year, treat 30,000 children for malnutrition and provide 2 million people with improved water supply and basic sanitation.

Bangladesh: Rohingya

Rushanara Ali: What steps her Department is taking to provide long-term support for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

Penny Mordaunt: The challenges for the Rohingya are becoming more protracted. We will ensure that our support reflects this by looking beyond short term, life-saving assistance. Priorities include access to education, skills and livelihood opportunities. We must give the Rohingya the skills they need to create sustainable lives for themselves wherever they are.

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

Mr Alistair Carmichael: What recent assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in Yemen.

Alistair Burt: Yemen remains the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with 80% of the population requiring humanitarian assistance. The UK will provide £200 million of support for the coming financial year. This will feed more than a million Yemenis each month over the year, treat 30,000 children for malnutrition and provide 2 million people with improved water supply and basic sanitation.

Department for Education

Free Schools: Finance

Dr Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department's press release of 11 March 2019, Thousands of places created in new special free schools, to which local authorities that £365 million funding has been allocated.

Nick Gibb: On 11 March 2019, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education announced 37 new special and 2 alternative provision free schools, providing thousands of new school places for children with special educational needs or those facing additional challenges in mainstream education.Separately, the Department’s special provision capital fund is allocated to local authorities to build new places and improve facilities for children with special educational needs and disabilities across a range of settings, including mainstream and special schools. This totals £365 million from 2018-19 to 2020-21.Allocations can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-provision-capital-funding-for-pupils-with-ehc-plans.

Free Schools

Dr Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department's press release of 11 March 2019, Thousands of places created in new special free schools, what criteria was used to determine those local authorities selected to receive new special free schools.

Nadhim Zahawi: On 11 March 2019, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced the approval of 37 special free schools and 2 alternative provision free schools, providing thousands of new school places for children with special educational needs or those facing additional challenges in mainstream education.The criteria used to assess local authority bids has now been removed from GOV.UK and is in the process of being uploaded onto the national archives web archives at: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/webarchive/. A copy has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Free Schools: South West

Dr Andrew Murrison: o ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department's press release of 11 March 2019, Thousands of places created in new special free schools, where in the South West he plans for those new special free schools providing 500 new places to be located.

Nadhim Zahawi: On 11 March 2019, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced the approval of 37 special free schools and 2 alternative provision free schools, providing thousands of new school places for children with special educational needs or those facing additional challenges in mainstream education. This includes the approval of 6 new special schools in the south-west. The schools will open in the following local authority areas: Cornwall, Dorset, North Somerset, Plymouth, Somerset and Wiltshire. The new school to be opened in Wiltshire local authority will be located in Salisbury and will also cater for students in the surrounding areas.

Schools: Opening Hours

Jess Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the number of schools in England operating on reduced hours by (a) closing schools on one day a week and (b) shortening the normal school day.

Nick Gibb: Holding answer received on 15 March 2019



All maintained schools are required to educate pupils for at least 380 sessions each school year. They cannot reduce the length of the school week if this would take the total number of sessions below that.The information requested is not held centrally. All schools have the autonomy to decide the structure and duration of their school day, which includes the flexibility to decide what time their school day should start and finish. Where schools use this flexibility, they should take into account local circumstances and the needs of their students and staff. The Department trusts schools to decide how best to structure their school day to support their pupils’ education.In the event that a school decides to make changes to its school day the Department would encourage them to do this in consultation with parents. It is the Department’s expectation that the school should act reasonably when making such decisions; giving parents notice and considering the impacts on those affected.

Schools: Opening Hours

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information his Department holds on the number of schools in England that are not teaching a full school week.

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information his Department holds on the practice of schools closing before the end of the school day on Fridays.

Nick Gibb: The information requested is not held centrally.All maintained schools are required to educate pupils for at least 380 sessions each school year. They cannot reduce the length of the school week if this would take the total number of sessions below that.All schools have the autonomy to make a decision about the content, structure and duration of their school day. They have the flexibility to decide when their school day should start and finish. Where schools use this flexibility, they should take into account local circumstances and the needs of their students and staff.In the event that a school decides to make changes to its school day the Department would encourage them to do this in consultation with parents. It is the Department’s expectation that the school should act reasonably when making such decisions; giving parents notice and considering the impacts on those affected.

Schools: Opening Hours

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance his Department issues to schools on the length of the standard school week.

Nick Gibb: The Department’s school attendance guidance includes guidance on setting school hours, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-attendance.

Schools: Opening Hours

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what representations he has received from (a) head teachers, (b) local authorities and (c) parents on reductions in school hours.

Nick Gibb: The Department does not record correspondence to the level of detail requested.All maintained schools are required to educate pupils for at least 380 sessions each school year. They cannot reduce the length of the school week if this would take the total number of sessions below that.All schools have the autonomy to decide the structure and duration of their school day, which includes the flexibility to decide when their school day should start and finish. Where schools use this flexibility, they should take into account local circumstances and the needs of their students and staff.In the event that a school decides to make changes to its school day the Department would encourage them to do this in consultation with parents. It is the Department’s expectation that the school should act reasonably when making such decisions; giving parents notice and considering the impacts on those affected.

Schools: Fire Regulations

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to revise Building Bulletin 100: Design for Fire Safety in Schools.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education launched a Call for Evidence on ‘Building Bulletin 100: Design for Fire Safety’ (BB 100) on 8 March 2019. The Call for Evidence is the first stage in a full public consultation. The Department will be working with technical experts and key stakeholders to revise and update BB 100 as appropriate. The Government attaches the highest priority to the safety of pupils and staff. All schools have to follow strict fire safety regulations, including having a fire risk assessment, designed to ensure they are as safe as possible and well prepared in the event of a fire.

Universities: Standards

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that university students receive value for money from student fees.

Chris Skidmore: We have a world-class higher education system and the Higher Education and Research Act 2017 sets the foundation for further improvements to the system. We have established the Office for Students to operate a new register of providers and ensure minimum standards. We have also enacted the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF) to hold universities to account for the teaching and outcomes they deliver for students, and are encouraging further diversity within the system with new providers and shorter degrees delivered at a lower cost to students.These important achievements are being built on with the post-18 review of education and funding looking further at how we can ensure our post-18 education system is joined up and supported by a funding system that works for students and taxpayers.

Care Leavers: Employment Schemes

Michael Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Care Leaver Covenant announced by his Department in October 2018, how many organisations have signed up to offer placement opportunities to young care leavers.

Michael Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Care Leaver Covenant announced by his Department in October 2018, how many placements for (a) work experience, (b) internships and (c) apprenticeships have been made available to young care leavers under that strategy to date.

Nadhim Zahawi: As of 14 March 2019, 75 organisations from the public, private and voluntary sectors had signed the care leaver covenant and published their offers to care leavers. All covenant offers are available to view at: https://mycovenant.org.uk/featured-signatories/. In addition, each government department has set out its offer to care leavers, copies of which have been published on GOV.UK. Spectra First, the government’s delivery partner for the care leaver covenant, is currently working with a number of other organisations which have signed a statement of intent confirming that they will provide opportunities to care leavers, but where the detail of their offer has not been finalised. The aim of the care leaver covenant is to secure offers for care leavers that will support them to achieve one or more of the 5 outcomes set out in the cross-government care leaver strategy – Keep on Caring – one of which is to be engaged in education, employment or training. From the 75 organisations that have signed the covenant so far, employment offers include:27 offers of work experience placements, ranging from one week to 3 months;5 offers of apprenticeships and;11 offers of paid internships or employment.In addition, PGL (a provider of activity holidays for children and young people) has over 1,000 jobs in their summer camps in 2019 and has indicated that they would strongly encourage care leavers to apply for these vacancies. The government is leading the way through its civil service care leaver internship scheme, which in 2019 is providing 75 12-month paid internships across 18 government departments. Other (non-employment-related) offers of support include: enhanced support packages for care leavers from universities and further education colleges, and offers of workshops/training on areas such as money management and maintaining a tenancy.

Sixth Form Colleges: Languages

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that sixth form colleges have adequate funding to offer courses in modern foreign languages.

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that sixth form colleges have adequate funding to offer courses in all STEM subjects.

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking ensure that sixth form colleges receive adequate funding to offer (a) student support and (b) extra-curricular activities.

Anne Milton: We want young people to have a range of options so that they can develop the skills they will need in adult life. We encourage and support colleges, schools and other providers to provide a range of study programmes to help students develop these skills.We have protected the base rate of funding for 16 to 19 year olds for all types of providers until the end of the current spending review period in 2020. Overall, the government plans to invest nearly £7 billion during 2018/19 to make sure that there is a place in education or training for every 16 to 19 year old who wants one. This includes over £500 million in funding for disadvantaged young people to get the educational support they need and £127 million for discretionary 16-19 Bursary Fund allocations to provide financial support for those students who need it to participate.Providers are funded for an average of 600 planned hours per year per full-time student. This level of funding supports a significant programme of study, typically including qualifications and extra-curricular enrichment activity as well as pastoral support and employability support. However, the viability of individual courses depends on student numbers and student choices. Some providers, in particular smaller institutions, may not always be able to offer the full range of subjects where small class sizes make it expensive to deliver less popular subjects. Ultimately, it is up to individual colleges to decide which courses to offer and, as part of their curriculum planning, they can consider working with other providers to combine resources and maximise their offers.We are considering the efficiency and resilience of the sector and are assessing how far the current funding and regulatory structures enable high quality provision for young people. We will continue to look carefully at these issues in preparation for the next Spending Review.

Children: Social Services

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the financial sustainability of local authority children’s services departments.

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the change in the level of funding per child for children’s services on the number of (a) children in need (b) child protection plans and (c) looked after children since 2010.

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the the effect of the change in the level of funding for children’s services in West Lancashire on the number of (a) referrals to children’s services; (b) re-referrals within 12 months, (c) children in need, (d) child protection enquiries, (e) child protection plans and (f) looked after children since 2010.

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the correlation between funding for children’s services between 2010-11 and 2017-18 and the number of (a) referrals to children’s services, (b) re-referrals within 12 months, (c) children in need, (d) child protection enquiries, (e) child protection plans and (f) looked after children.

Nadhim Zahawi: Funding for children’s services is made available through the local government finance settlement (LGFS), which gives local authorities flexibility to target spending according to local needs and to fulfil their statutory responsibilities, including services for children and families. Since 2010, the responsibilities of local authorities and the makeup of their funding streams have changed significantly. Therefore, wider spending power measures are not directly comparable over this period.Over the 5 year period to 2019-20, councils have access, through the LGFS, to over £200 billion to deliver local services, including children’s services. Core spending power has increased from £45.1 billion in 2018-19 to £46.4 billion in 2019-20.In addition to this the Autumn Budget announced a further £410 million in 2019-20 for local authorities to invest in adult and children’s social care services. It also announced £84 million of extra funding, over the next 5 years, to support local authorities to invest in initiatives that improve social work practice and decision making.Local authority level data since 2013 is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-interactive-tool-lait.National level children in need and service use since 2010 is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-children-in-need and: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-looked-after-children.The most common factors recorded in children’s social care assessments are domestic abuse and mental health. These have been consistently the top two factors for the years during which we have collected this data and have risen in line with trends in demand.The Department for Education are working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the review of relative needs and resources to develop a robust, up-to-date approach to funding distribution for children's services at LGFSs.The government will continue to work closely with the sector to consider long-term children’s services funding as part of the upcoming Spending Review.

Children: Day Care

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, (a) on how many occasions and (b) on what dates the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families has visited (i) a maintained nursery school, (ii) a private, voluntary and independent nursery, (iii) a children's centre and (iv) any other childcare setting since his appointment to that role.

Nadhim Zahawi: I regularly visit early education settings and meet with a wide range of providers. Since my appointment in January 2018, I have visited the following settings: Hindley Nursery School, Wigan – 18 January 2018.Noah’s Ark Pre School, Little Explorers Nursery, Staffordshire – 1 March 2018.Busy Bees Nursery, Westminster – 10 April 2018.Rothesay Nursery School, Luton – 26 April 2018.Lanterns Nursery School, Hampshire – 24 May 2018.Rodney House School, Manchester (2-11 special school) – 5 July 2018.Yew Tree Community School and Nursery, Oldham – 15 November 2018.Tree House Family Hub, Essex – 29 November 2018.Childminder setting, Bromley – 24 January 2019.Nad al Hammar Kindergarten, Dubai (World Government Summit) – 11 February 2019.Manchester City Football Academy, Manchester (observed session on integration of literacy and early language communication development into sport) – 28 February 2019.

Students: Finance

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what equalities assessment his Department has undertaken on access to student finance for individuals of Muslim faith.

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of alternative funding arrangements for student finance that is compatible with sharia law for individuals of Muslim faith.

Chris Skidmore: The department undertook equalities assessments on access to student finance for individuals of Muslim faith in November 2015 when introducing regulations to move from a system of maintenance grants to loans and in May 2016 when introducing the Bill which became the Higher Education Research Act 2017 which includes provisions to enable alternative student finance to be introduced. The assessments can be found at the following links:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/482110/bis-15-639-student-finance-equality-analysis.pdf.https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/524226/bis-16-281-he-research-bill-equality-analysis.pdf.The government’s assessment of the merits of alternative funding arrangements that is compatible with Sharia law for individuals of Muslim faith was made in its response to the consultation published in September 2014. The consultation response can be found at the follow link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/349899/bis-14-984-government-response-to-a-consultation-on-a-sharia-compliant-alternative-finance-product.pdf.

Sex and Relationship Education

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to footnote 7 on page 4 of the Policy Statement: Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education, and Personal, Social Health and Economic Education, published in March 2017, what the evidential basis was for the statement that providing a parent with a blanket right to withdraw their child from sex education is no longer consistent with English case law, or with the ECHR and UNCRC; and if he will make a statement.

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education,  with reference to footnote 7 on page 4 of the Policy Statement: Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education, and Personal, Social Health and Economic Education, published in March 2017, if he will list those English cases that necessitate the proposed limitation on the right of parental withdrawal from sex education in secondary schools; and if he will make a statement.

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to footnote 7 on page 4 of the Policy Statement: Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education, and Personal, Social Health and Economic Education, published in March 2017, when the current right of withdrawal ceased to be compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights; and if he will make a statement.

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education,  with reference to footnote 7 on page 4 of the Policy Statement: Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education, and Personal, Social Health and Economic Education, published in March 2017, when the current right of withdrawal ceased to be compatible with the United States Convention on the Rights of the Child; and if he will make a statement.

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 69 on pages 16 to 17 of Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education in England Government consultation response, published in February 2019, what the evidential basis was for the statement that the current legislation contains a right to withdrawn which is no longer compatible with English caselaw and the European Convention on Human Rights; and if he will make a statement.

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 69 on pages 16 to 17 of Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education, and Health Education in England Government consultation response, published in February 2019, whether it is his policy to ensure that all pupils should be given the opportunity to opt out of, as well as into, sex education lessons from three terms before they turn 16, regardless of the wishes of their parents; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: On 25 February 2019, following a 17-week consultation on the draft regulations and associated guidance on relationships education, relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education, we published the updated guidance, and laid the regulations for debate in Parliament. The regulations include provision in respect of the right to be excused from sex education that are compatible with the law as it now stands. The case law in relation to a child’s competence to make their own decisions has evolved over time – see for example the 2006 case of ‘R (Axon) v Secretary of State for Health’. The statutory guidance for relationship, sex and health education sets out that parents can request that their child be excused from sex education taught as part of RSE at any time. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, head teachers should agree to such requests until three terms before the pupil turns 16. At that point, if the pupil wishes to be taught sex education as part of RSE rather than be withdrawn and again unless there are exceptional circumstances, the school should make arrangements to provide this education for the pupil in one of the three terms before their 16th birthday. Pupils do not have the right to withdraw themselves from sex education or other parts of the curriculum.

Further Education: Qualifications

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had with Ofqual on preparations for the new functional skills qualifications for September 2019; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The department has been working closely with Ofqual to prepare for first teaching of the reformed functional skills qualifications in English and maths from September 2019.As part of this, Ofqual have introduced a robust technical evaluation process through which all new functional skills qualifications need to go before being made available. This is to ensure, before delivery, that the reformed qualifications are of high quality and support consistent assessment and awarding.To support providers, Ofqual have published information online outlining how far different awarding organisations have progressed in the technical evaluation. They have also communicated about the reforms with providers more generally both online and directly.This department has also commissioned the Education Training Foundation to support providers to be ready for the new qualifications with a range of communication events, training opportunities and resources. The first qualifications have now been approved. We will continue to work closely with Ofqual on preparing for these new qualifications taking account of the impact and implications for providers.

Social Services: Finance

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the financial sustainability of the children’s services department in the local authority of St Helens.

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect of the reduction in funding available for children’s services in St Helens borough on the number of (a) referrals to children’s services, (b) re-referrals within 12 months, (c) children in need, (d) child protection enquiries, (e) child protection plans, (f) looked after children.

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has been made of the effect of the funding allocated to children’s services between 2010-11 and 2017-18 on the number of (a) referrals to children’s services; (b) re-referrals within 12 months, (c) children in need, (d) child protection enquiries, (e) child protection plans and (f) looked after children.

Nadhim Zahawi: Funding for children’s services is made available through the Local Government Finance Settlement (LGFS), which gives local authorities flexibility to target spending according to local needs and to fulfil their statutory responsibilities, including services for children and families. Since 2010, the responsibilities of local authorities and the makeup of their funding streams have changed significantly. Therefore, wider spending power measures are not directly comparable over this period.Over the 5 year period to 2019-20, councils have access, through the LGFS, to over £200 billion to deliver local services, including children’s services. Core spending power has increased from £45.1 billion in 2018-19 to £46.4 billion in 2019-20.In addition to this the Autumn Budget announced a further £410 million in 2019-20 for local authorities to invest in adult and children’s social care services. It also announced £84 million of extra funding, over the next 5 years, to support local authorities to invest in initiatives that improve social work practice and decision making.Local Authority level data since 2013 is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-interactive-tool-lait.National level children in need and service use since 2010 is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-children-in-need and: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-looked-after-children.The most common factors recorded in children’s social care assessments are domestic abuse and mental health. These have been consistently the top two factors for the years during which we have collected this data and have risen in line with trends in demand.The Department for Education is working closely with Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government on the review of relative needs and resources to develop a robust, up-to-date approach to funding distribution for children's services at local government finance settlements.The government will continue to work closely with the sector to consider long-term children’s services funding as part of the upcoming Spending Review.

Schools: Finance

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2019 to Question 230746 on Schools: Finance, on what dates (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department met representatives of the campaign group WorthLess.

Nick Gibb: My noble Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, met with representatives of the campaign group WorthLess? to discuss wider school funding on 22 November 2018.   I have previously met with Jules White, representative of the campaign group WorthLess?, to discuss school funding, on 15 September 2017 and 5 February 2018.

Apprentices

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the number of apprenticeships that will have been started between 2015 and 2020.

Anne Milton: There were 1,627,300 apprenticeship starts in England between May 2015 and October 2018.

Ministry of Justice

*No heading*

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders sentenced to immediate custody of up to six months who had not received a previous community order were sentenced in (a) Magistrate's Courts and (b) Crown Courts in (i) 2015; (ii) 2016 and (iii) 2017.

Rory Stewart: The number of offenders sentenced to up to six months who had not received a previous community sentence by court type can be viewed in the table. There is persuasive evidence showing community sentences, in certain circumstances, are more effective than short custodial sentences in reducing reoffending. The MoJ study ‘The impact of short custodial sentences, community orders and suspended sentence orders on re-offending’ published in 2015 found that over a 1-year follow up period, a higher proportion of people re-offended having been sentenced to custody of under 12 months without supervision on release than other similar people given community orders. Unless we tackle the underlying causes of offending, we cannot protect the public from being victims of crime. Effective community orders can address offenders’ behaviour, answer their mental health and alcohol or drug misuse needs, and provide reparation for the benefit of the wider community.



Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 13.24 KB)

Knives: Crime

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of trends in the number of people under the age of 18 being prosecuted for possession of a knife (a) Wansbeck constituency, (b) the North East and (c) the UK since 2010.

Rory Stewart: The Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions for England and Wales by Police Force Area. The number of defendants aged under 18 who were prosecuted for possession of an article with a blade or point, by police force area can be found in the Court outcomes by Police Force Area data tool found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/733996/court-outcomes-by-pfa-2017-update.xlsx The Wansbeck constituency falls within the ‘Northumbria’ Police Force Area, which can be selected in the ‘Police Force Area’ filter.To identify the North East, select ‘Cleveland’, ‘Durham’ and ‘Northumbria’ in the ‘Police Force Area’ filter.For the number of prosecutions, filter ‘Court Type’ by ’02: Magistrates Court’.For defendants aged under 18, select the relevant age ranges in the ‘Age Range’ filter.Select ‘10D Possession of an article with blade or point’ in the ‘Offence’ filter. Figures for 2018 will be published in May 2019. The MoJ does not hold figures for prosecutions by parliamentary constituency, or for other countries of the UK.

Prisons: Private Sector

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisons currently designated as resettlement prisons are operated by the private sector.

Rory Stewart: The aim of a Resettlement Prison is to build and improve family and community ties, and prepare men for release.There are currently 14 privately operated prisons (12 male and 2 female) of which 11 are designated as resettlement prisons.

Prisons: Staff

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in which privately operated prison the approach of the use of a voluntary sector co-ordinator was developed and evaluated.

Rory Stewart: Individual Directors of PMPs assess the benefits of building links with the voluntary sector locally and have the discretion to engage with volunteers and voluntary organisations as they see fit, forging links with the local community and complementing local provision. Privately Managed Prisons have not developed the use of a specific Voluntary Sector Co-ordinators. But privately managed prisons such as Parc and Thameside have track records of sustained, high-quality work with the voluntary sector. We do not tell Privately Managed Prisons which staff to deploy, that is for them, but we do manage the contracts closely and take action where there are shortcomings.

Prison Officers: Training

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what changes HMPPS has made to the training programme for new prison officers in privately operated prisons since 2010.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what changes private prison operators have requested to make to their training programmes for new prison officers since 2010.

Rory Stewart: Newly recruited prison officers are required to complete a 12 week Prison Officer Entry Level Training (POELT) course which is reviewed every 6 months by HMPPS Learning & Development. This training provides new officers with a foundation level of training in all core skill areas including interpersonal skills, mental health awareness, equality, violence reduction and safer custody, alongside the more traditional security awareness and practical skills needed to be a prison officer. Training for new Prison Custody Officers (PCO’s) at privately managed prisons is required to be of the same standard as that provided to Prison Officers in public sector prisons. When materials for the POELT are updated they are shared with providers who are able to provide feedback on these documents. Successful completion of the training is required before they can be certified as a PCO by HMPPS. Having well trained staff helps operators of privately managed prisons to ensure they maintain a safe, decent and secure prison as per their contractual obligation. The performance of all providers continues to be robustly managed. We will not hesitate to take action if and when standards fall short.

Reoffenders

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of people in prison serving a custodial sentences of less than six months had previously served a short prison sentence of less than six months.

Rory Stewart: It is not possible to identify from centrally held data how many and what proportion of people in prison serving a custodial sentences of less than 6 months had previously served a short prison sentence of less than 6 months without incurring disproportionate cost.

Reoffenders

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average number was of previous prison sentences of less than six months served by people currently in prison for (a) less than six months and (b) less than 12 months.

Rory Stewart: It is not possible to identify from centrally held data the average number of previous prison sentences of less than 6 months served by people currently in prison for (a) less than 6 months and (b) less than 12 months without incurring disproportionate cost.

Reoffenders

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the most recent quarterly reoffending rate is for (a) men and (b) women serving less than six months in prison.

Rory Stewart: The one year reoffending rates for prisoners released from sentences of less than six months will be published in the next quarterly proven reoffending bulletin on the 25th April. There is persuasive evidence showing community sentences, in certain circumstances, are more effective than short custodial sentences in reducing reoffending. The MoJ study ‘The impact of short custodial sentences, community orders and suspended sentence orders on re-offending’ published in 2015 found that over a 1-year follow up period, a higher proportion of people re-offended having been sentenced to custody of under 12 months without supervision on release than other similar people given community orders. The impact of short custodial sentences on women generally is particularly significant. Many are victims, as well as offenders, with almost 60% reporting experience of domestic abuse and many have mental health issues. We therefore set out our vision in the Female Offender Strategy published in June 2018, to see female offenders, particularly those with complex needs, dealt with in the community wherever possible. Unless we tackle the underlying causes of offending, we cannot protect the public from being victims of crime. Effective community orders can address offenders’ behaviour, answer their mental health and alcohol or drug misuse needs, and provide reparation for the benefit of the wider community.

Prisons: Staff

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of staff working in prisons are (a) directly employed by HM Prison Service, (b) employed by an external contractor to deliver medical services and (c) employed by an external contractor to deliver education services.

Rory Stewart: HM Prison and Probation (HMPPS) workforce statistics (which contains staffing figures in public sector prisons but not in privately managed prisons) are published quarterly. The latest publication can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/offender-management-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2018 Prison officer numbers are at their highest in five years, which is vital to ensuring prisons are safe, secure and decent. We have recruited over 3,000 new prison officers across the country in the last 18 months to improve safety and help turn offenders’ lives around. The recruitment drive will continue until we reach required levels across the prison estate, ensuring prisons can fulfil their purpose - protecting the public, reducing reoffending and crucially, rehabilitating offenders. HMPPS does not collate information centrally in relation to contracted staff for Education or information on healthcare staff in prisons. NHS England and Local Health Boards in Wales are responsible for the commissioning of healthcare services. NHS England’s contractors and the NHS in Wales is responsible for the employment of healthcare staff operating in Prisons, with the exception of primary care staff operating in 6 privately operated prisons. In 2018 the MoJ, HMPPS, Department for Health and Social Care, Public Health England and NHS England published a new National Partnership Agreement for Prison Healthcare in England. This is supported by national and local partnership arrangements to facilitate joint working. Similar arrangements exist in Wales.

Probation: Private Sector

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of private sector probation companies.

Rory Stewart: The Government has been clear that the performance of Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) in England and Wales has been disappointing and needs to improve. We have taken decisive action to end current CRC contracts early and made changes to existing contracts to improve service delivery. We have also conducted a public consultation on proposals for future arrangements and are carefully considering the responses we received. We are committed to developing a more stable and resilient system, where public, private and voluntary sectors providers can work together effectively to protect the public and tackle reoffending. We will set out our plans later this year.

Prison Officers: Labour Turnover

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish statistics by (a) age and (b) gender of prison officers recruited in each of the last three years; and what the retention rate has been of prison officers in that same time period.

Rory Stewart: The number of band 3-5 prison officers that were recruited in the last three years, by age and gender are provided in table 1 below. The leaving rate of band 3-5 officers for the same period is provided in table 2. Table 1: Band 3-5 prison officers1 joiners, by age and gender, 2016-2018Headcount 12 months to 31 December 201612 months to 31 December 201712 months to 31 December 2018GenderFemale5191,2431,885Male1,0182,9893,825AgeUnder 301,0042,5253,43230-393231,0671,44640-4917248262750-59~15019860+~87Total1,5374,2325,710 Table 2: Underlying leaving2 rate of permanent3 band 3-5 officers1, 2016-2018Headcount Leavers4Average staff in postLeaving rate (%)12 months to 31 December 20161,78618,8609.512 months to 31 December 20171,96719,59010.012 months to 31 December 20182,40622,22910.8Notes:1. Includes Band 3-4 / Prison Officer (incl specialists), Band 4 / Supervising Officer and Band 5 / Custodial Managers.2. Movements due to machinery of Government changes or due to staff transferring to or from the private sector as a result of changes in the management of establishments are not included in these tables. Such movements are 151 FTE staff transferring with Medway Secure Training Centre when HMPPS took over running it in July 2016 and 59 FTE transferring in to the newly created Youth Custody Centre in September 2017.3. Staff with a permanent contract of employment with HMPPS.4. Does not include voluntary early departure or redundancy.~ denotes suppressed values of 2 or fewer or other values which would allow values of 2 or fewer to be derived by subtraction. Low numbers are suppressed to prevent disclosure in accordance with the Data Protection Act, 1998. We want prison officers to stay and progress their careers. We’ve improved induction processes to ease transition into the job, provide care and support for our staff and offer additional training. These measures are part of the work we are doing directly with Governors to address local issues and ensure experienced staff and new recruits remain in the service.

Prisons: Crimes of Violence

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 1 March to Question 223963, what progress his Department has made on reducing the level of violence in prisons.

Rory Stewart: We acknowledge that the most recent figures, for the year to September 2018, show that the level of violence in our prisons is far too high, and we are taking the action to address it. This is a complex problem. We know that our new measures will take effect over time, and that we cannot expect an immediate reduction in the number of assaults. Nonetheless, we remain confident that they are the right measures, and we are introducing them as quickly as we can. We have recruited over 4,700 more prison officers since October 2016, and we now have the greatest number in post since early 2012. The key worker scheme is already showing promising signs of effectiveness and has started in all 92 closed adult male prisons, with over 30,000 prisoners having an assigned key worker who has dedicated time each week to work with them. The Challenge, Support and Intervention case management process for prisoners at risk of violence has been mandated for all prisons and will be fully in place by the end of April 2019. We are improving perimeter security and using other equipment such as body scanners to address the supply of drugs. We are confident that these initiatives, together with the many other measures that we are taking to protect our staff, will reduce the level of violence in prisons.

Prisoners: Special Educational Needs

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that maths and English education in prisons is appropriate for individuals with specific learning difficulties.

Rory Stewart: From 1 April, prison governors will arrange for all new prisoners to be screened for learning difficulties and/or disabilities on reception. Following this, for those who go into learning and where screening indicates an issue, education suppliers will assess them to ensure the right adaptations and support arrangements are put in place (including for maths and English delivery).

Offenders: Learning Disability

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what comparative assessment he has made of the effect of learning difficulties on offenders' (a) probability of serving a custodial sentence and (b) rates of recidivism.

Rory Stewart: We have made no comparative assessment of the effect of learning difficulties on offenders' probability of serving a custodial sentence or their rates of recidivism. But learning and educational attainment is one of the factors, which was used in generating comparative data on reoffending rates in the 2015 study.

Prisoners: Mobile Phones

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) CZ long phones and (b) smart phones were confiscated from prisoners in England and Wales during each of the last three years.

Rory Stewart: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate costs.

Prisons: Drug Seizures

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many drug seizures were made in prisons in England and Wales in each of the last three years; and what drugs were seized.

Rory Stewart: The misuse of drugs in prison drives violence, vulnerability and crime and so tackling this is one of our top priorities. Consequently, we are improving our security to restrict the availability of drugs. We use body, property, cell and area searches, metal-detecting scanners and drug and phone detection dogs across the estate. We are investing £6 million to tackle drug supply and reduce demand in 10 of the most challenging prisons, with body scanners and more staff focused on effective searching. Data and information on drug finds is routinely published as part of the normal publication schedule https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-hm-prison-and-probation-service-digest-2017-to-2018 Data on drug finds in 2018-19 will be published in due course in line with the normal publication schedule.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Buildings: Insulation

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2019 to Question 229147 on Buildings: Insulation, whether his Department plans to test the higher-risk scenario of high-pressure laminate panels with combustible insulation behind them.

Kit Malthouse: Holding answer received on 18 March 2019



The Department has no plans at present to carry out a test of high-pressure laminate panels with combustible insulation behind them. The Expert Panel issued updated advice to building owners in December 2018 on how to assess and manage any non-Aluminium Composite Material related risks to their buildings. This form of construction would not meet current building regulations guidance unless a suitable test has already been carried out. Building owners should seek professional advice and remove any unsafe materials where necessary.

Buildings: Insulation

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2019 to Question 229147 on Buildings: Insulation, whether Department has consulted the (a) Fire Protection Association and (b) Association of British Insurers on the build-up of the test.

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2019 to Question 229147 on Buildings: Insulation, how many fire barriers will be used in that test.

Kit Malthouse: Holding answer received on 19 March 2019



The Independent Expert Panel agreed with the Department to commission this BS 8414 test.The test will be built up in line with normal industry good practice and fire barriers will be arranged similarly to those used in previous BS 8414 tests commissioned by the Department. For example, the BS 8414 tests carried out on Aluminium Composite Material in summer 2017.The Fire Protection Association and Association of British Insurers were not consulted.

Ministry of Defence

Army: Recruitment

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 19 February 2019 to Question 221840 on Army: Recruitment, when he plans to place in the Library a copy of the media buying brief produced for the Crown Commercial Service for the Your Army Needs You advertising campaign launched in January 2019.

Mark Lancaster: A copy of the brief has been placed in the Library of the House, with a small number of redactions for commercial and data protection reasons. I attach a copy to this response for your convenience.



Media Buying Brief
(PDF Document, 266.26 KB)

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit: Disability

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of imposing sanctions on disabled claimants of universal credit on (a) the subsequent time they spend in receipt of benefit and (b) the likelihood of those claimants subsequently entering and remaining in employment.

Alok Sharma: Holding answer received on 07 January 2019



The Department has not made an assessment of the effect of imposing sanctions on disabled Universal Credit claimants. In our response to the Work and Pensions Select Committee Report on Benefit Sanctions (Nineteenth Report of Session 2017-19), the Department committed to evaluating the effectiveness of reforms to welfare conditionality and sanctions. The Department will focus its evaluation on whether the sanctions regime within Universal Credit is effective at supporting claimants to search for work. Sanctions are only used in a small percentage of cases, and that is when people fail to meet their agreed commitments without good reason. Latest data, published on 19 February 2019 in the Benefit Sanction Statistics, shows that in November 2018, 2.8% of people subject to conditionality on Universal Credit had a deduction taken from their benefit award as a result of a sanction. When considering whether a sanction is appropriate, a Decision Maker will take all the claimant’s individual circumstances, including any health conditions or disabilities and any evidence of good cause, into account before deciding whether a sanction is warranted.

Universal Credit: Disqualification

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the number of hardship payment awards to sanctioned claimants of universal credit was in each conditionality category for (a) live and (b) full service claimants in each month since August 2015.

Alok Sharma: Holding answer received on 11 January 2019



The information requested by each conditionality group is not readily available for Universal Credit Full and Live Service claimants and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.Sanctions are only used in a small percentage of cases, and that is when people fail to meet their agreed commitments without good reason. When considering whether a sanction is appropriate, a Decision Maker will take all the claimant’s individual circumstances, including any health conditions or disabilities and any evidence of good reason, into account before deciding whether a sanction is warranted.However, the information that is readily available is displayed in the table below. This shows the number of Universal Credit Full Service sanction decisions which were followed by a Recoverable Hardship Payment during 2017 and 2018. Sanction decision monthNumber of UC Full Service sanction decisions which were followed by a Recoverable Hardship Payment1Number of people on Universal Credit2Jan-17100437,751Feb-170458,742Mar-170481,592Apr-17100504,748May-17400513,481Jun-17300527,535Jul-17300551,088Aug-17400574,802Sep-17300601,921Oct-17400623,565Nov-17300650,145Dec-17200692,039Jan-18600717,523Feb-18500762,909Mar-18500801,401Apr-18700856,280May-18400902,317Jun-181100961,643Jul-1822001,019,181Aug-1824001,093,073 Notes: The information provided in the provided table is based on preliminary analysis of internal management information and may be subject to future revision. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100. Subsequently, figures in the table that are 0 are less than 50.The number of people on Universal Credit is published on Stat-Xplore. (stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk)

Universal Credit

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her speech entitled, Universal Credit: personal welfare, delivered on 11 January 2019, how many recipients of universal credit where the woman is the payee are recorded as lead carers in relation to their claimant commitment.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with referenced to her speech entitled Universal Credit: personal welfare delivered on 11 January 2019, how many recipients of universal credit where payments go to the woman’s bank account are in paid work.

Alok Sharma: Holding answer received on 28 January 2019



The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Universal Credit

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of universal credit claims had a deduction applied in the most recent month for which data is available.

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of universal credit claims that had a deduction applied had (a) up to 20 per cent, (b) between 21 and 30 per cent, (c) between 31 and 40 per cent and (d) more than 41 per cent deducted in the latest period for which data is available.

Alok Sharma: The Government recognises the importance of safeguarding the welfare of claimants who have incurred debt. Under Universal Credit there is a co-ordinated approach to deductions from benefit, which simplifies the current complex arrangements. The aim of the deductions policy in Universal Credit is to protect vulnerable claimants from eviction and/or having their gas, electricity and water cut off, by providing a last resort repayment method for arrears of these essential services. Work has been done to increase awareness of advances and access to them for claimants, and to support this, new guidance has been issued to staff. This guidance makes it clear that claimants should be made aware of advances, made aware of their maximum entitlement and informed that their entitlement will be adjusted over the relevant recovery period to take this into account. This increased awareness has resulted in around 60% of eligible new claims to Universal Credit receiving an advance in October 2018, providing further financial support until their first payment. Of all eligible claims* to Universal Credit Full Service due a payment in October 2018, 53% (532,000 claims) had a deduction to their standard allowance. Of these 532,000 claims with a deduction:a) 53% (284,000 claims) had deductions up to 20% of the Standard Allowance (28% of all eligible claims).b) 21% (113,000 claims) had deductions between 21% and 30% of the Standard Allowance (11% of all eligible claims).c) 24% (129,000 claims) had deductions between 31% and 40% of their Standard Allowance (13% of all eligible claims).d) 1% (6,000 claims) had deductions above 40% of their Standard Allowance (0.6% of all eligible claims). Notes:*Eligible claimants are claimants that have satisfied all the requirements of claiming Universal Credit; they have provided the necessary evidence, signed their claimant commitment and are eligible and have recieved their first payment.These figures do not include sanctions or fraud penalties which are reductions of benefit rather than deductions.Claim numbers may not match official statistics caseloads due to small methodological differences.Claim numbers are rounded to the nearest 1,000

Social Security Benefits: Medical Examinations

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, reference to the Written Statement of 5 March 2019, Health and Disability Announcement, HCWS1376, what estimate she has made of the cost by budget headline of the integration of assessment services due to be implemented from 2021.

Justin Tomlinson: DWP is committed to achieving value for money and is focussed on achieving the best outcomes for customers. We are in the process of designing the new service around customers, engaging with the market and shaping our approach to safe implementation, all of which needs to be complete as part Department’s business case process, as you would expect from any new service being developed.

Work Capability Assessment: Appeals

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of people who are currently awaiting the outcome of a mandatory reconsideration of a work capability assessment.

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the number of people awaiting the outcome of a mandatory reconsideration of an award after a personal independence payment assessment.

Justin Tomlinson: Information on the number of people waiting for the outcome of a Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) of an ESA Work Capability Assessment (WCA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP) decision is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Work Capability Assessment: Appeals

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the average waiting time for people for a mandatory reconsideration of their award after a work capability assessment in each of the last five months.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department publishes quarterly statistics on “ESA: outcomes of Work Capability Assessments including mandatory reconsiderations and appeals” which include figures on MR clearance times, available at Table 16 here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/esa-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessments-including-mandatory-reconsiderations-and-appeals-march-2019 MR is a key element of the decision making process for both the Department and claimants, and whilst ensuring they make quality decisions, decision makers work hard to clear applications without delay. Gathering the right evidence is critical at the MR stage if decisions are not to go to appeal; and we are reviewing our processes to not only obtain this, but to do so whilst continuing to make decisions timeously.

Personal Independence Payment: Appeals

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the average amount of time people waited for a mandatory reconsideration of their award after a personal independence payment assessment in each of the last five months.

Justin Tomlinson: Information on clearance times for PIP MRs is provided in the table below. Median Clearance Times, in Calendar Days, for PIP MRs in Great Britain: Month of MR ClearanceMedian Calendar Days for MR to be ClearedJun-1833Jul-1832Aug-1832Sep-1834Oct-1836 This data on MR clearance times is unpublished data. It should be used with caution and it may be subject to future revision. MR is a key element of the decision making process for both the Department and claimants, and whilst ensuring they make quality decisions, decision makers work hard to clear applications without delay. Gathering the right evidence is critical at the MR stage if decisions are not to go to appeal; and we are reviewing our processes to not only obtain this, but to do so whilst continuing to make decisions timeously.

Employment: North Wales

Ian C. Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much was spent by her Department through its Dynamic Purchasing System for employment by each constituency in north Wales in each of the last five years.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not centrally collated in a format that can be easily disaggregated, and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Work and Health Programme

Ian C. Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have been referred onto the Work and Health programme by her Department's work coaches.

Ian C. Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of people have been referred to Remploy through her Department's Work and Health programme.

Ian C. Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many of her Department's work coaches have referred people to the Work and Health programme.

Justin Tomlinson: Statistics on the Work and Health Programme referral figures by contract package area are published and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/work-and-health-programme-experimental-statistics-to-november-2018. All Work Coaches have the ability to refer people to the Work and Health Programme; however, on the question of how many work coaches have referred people - this information requested is not available.

Universal Credit

David Warburton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she plans to take to grant Trusted Agent Status to Local Authority Welfare Officers in order to help them to assist universal credit claimants.

Alok Sharma: The pilot during which we will move legacy claimants without a change in circumstance to Universal Credit will start in Harrogate, where we will initially test an approach that is based on using existing relationships that DWP or partners have with claimants. Through these relationships we will establish whether someone is ready to move and how to prepare them. As we become confident that this approach works, we will consider how we can expand this ‘who knows me’ approach through trusted stakeholders, who may include Local Authority Welfare Officers. This approach differs from the ‘Trusted Partner’ status that some Landlords hold to support Universal Credit claimants with their rent verification.

Carbon Monoxide: Poisoning

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to support festival providers in safeguarding people attending festivals from the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning; and if he will make a statement.

Justin Tomlinson: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) leads on national occupational health and safety policy for the entertainments and leisure sector, whilst Local Authorities are responsible for enforcing the law at individual events, such as festivals, in their geographical area. Festival organisers have responsibilities under Section 2 and 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSWA) to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of their employees and others, including members of the public, affected by their undertaking. These responsibilities extend to ensuring that equipment, such as gas cookers and BBQs, are maintained and operated in a safe condition. Disposable BBQs are popular with those attending festivals, and there have been examples where fatalities, arising from exposure to carbon monoxide, have occurred due to BBQs being taken into tents as a source of heat. Festival organisers are expected to take reasonably practicable measures to raise awareness of the potential dangers. Reasonable arrangements should also be in place to monitor the use of disposable BBQs and the behaviour of attendees at the event so that action can be taken to prevent these items being used in enclosed areas. HSE has published web-based event safety guidance to help event organisers comply with their legal duties (http://www.hse.gov.uk/event-safety/index.htm). The Events Industry Forum also produces a guide, known as the Purple Guide, for the live event industry including festival organisers.

Disability: Cost of Living

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the report entitled the Disability Price Tag 2019, published by Scope in February 2019, what steps she is taking to ensure that personal independence payments assessments accurately capture the extra costs incurred by disabled people.

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that personal independence payment assessments address the full range of extra costs faced by disabled people.

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the report entitled the Disability Price Tag 2019, published by Scope, what steps she is taking to ensure that personal independence payment assessments accurately capture the extra costs incurred by disabled people.

Justin Tomlinson: Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a more modern, dynamic and fairer benefit than its predecessor, Disability Living Allowance (DLA), designed to focus support on those experiencing the greatest barriers to living independently. DLA had not been fundamentally reformed since it was introduced over 25 years ago and it lacked some of the basic checks and reviews that are integral to most other State-funded support. Built on rules developed for disability benefits created in the 1970s, DLA was also a product of its time, focusing primarily on physical disabilities, whereas we now have a better understanding of the needs of individuals with mental health conditions, learning difficulties, and sensory impairments like blindness. Understanding of conditions like autism has also changed measurably. That is why we introduced PIP. Reform of DLA had long been overdue and the benefit had to be changed to better support disabled people to lead independent lives as they want to today. PIP provides an opportunity to better target support for disabled people and to enable them to lead full, active and independent lives. At the core of the benefit’s design is the principle that awards of the benefit should be made according to a claimant’s overall level of need; entitlement being assessed on the basis of the needs arising from a health condition or disability. It is intended to act as a contribution towards the extra costs that arise as a result of a long-term health condition or disability. We take all feedback regarding the benefit and assessment process seriously; and we remain committed to continuous improvements and working closely with claimants and representative organisations.

Universal Credit

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons the reduction in the maximum rate at which deductions can be made from universal credit to repay an advance payment is not being implemented until October 2019.

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason the extension of the period over which universal credit advance payments have to be repaid from 12 months to 16 months is not being implemented until October 2021.

Alok Sharma: We have carefully considered the impact and deliverability of the measures announced in the Autumn Budget 2018 for Universal Credit. The delivery dates we announced achieve the best balance between continually improving Universal Credit to respond to claimant need and ensuring the service is technically and operationally scalable as the volumes on Universal Credit continue to rise through 2019 and 2020.

Universal Credit: Disability

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many families were in receipt of the lower child disability addition of a legacy benefit for each of the last five years.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Organic Food: Exports

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to ensure the continued recognition by the EU and other world markets of organic standards of exports by UK-based producers and suppliers in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal; and whether compensation will be made available in the event that recognition is interrupted.

David Rutley: Whilst preparing for all outcomes, as any responsible Government would, we are also preparing for the possibility of no deal. As such, we are undertaking work to explore all options to help ensure UK organic products can continue to have access to the EU market from the day we leave. We are working closely with all of the UK organic control bodies to identify solutions. We have started technical discussions with the Commission to explore routes to ensure continued access to the EU organic market for UK organic products, and we will continue to press them.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Brexit

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what additional funding for staff (a) his Department and (b) its agencies have received in allocated expenditure in respect of the UK leaving the EU.

David Rutley: HM Treasury has already allocated over £4.2 billion of additional funding to departments and the devolved administrations for preparations for leaving the EU so far. This covers both staff and non-staff costs for departments and their agencies and breaks down as:£412 million of additional funding over the spending review period for the Department for Exiting the European Union, Department for International Trade and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office at Autumn Statement 2016.£286 million of additional funding for 2017/18 (a full breakdown of which can be found in Supplementary Estimates 2017/18: (https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/679738/PU2137_Supplementary_estimates_web.pdf). Of this funding, Defra was allocated £67.4 million. HM Treasury also allowed the department to redirect £7 million earmarked for the UK Presidency of the EU and £20 million for voluntary staff exits towards exit preparations.Over £1.5 billion of additional funding for 2018/19. A full breakdown of the allocations can be found in the Chief Secretary’s Written Ministerial Statement, HCWS540, laid on 13 March 2018: (https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2018-03-13/HCWS540/). Of this funding, Defra was allocated £310 million with a further £10 million being repurposed from existing budgets.Over £2 billion of additional funding for 2019/20. A full breakdown of the allocations can be found in the Chief Secretary’s Written Ministerial Statement, HCWS1205, laid on 18 December 2018: (https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2018-12-18/HCWS1205/). Of this funding, Defra has been allocated £410 million.As at 31 January 2019 Defra group has filled over 2,600 posts to work on exit preparations with appointments to a further 250 posts working through pre-employment processes.

Dogs: Smuggling

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to take further steps to deter dog smuggling into the UK.

David Rutley: Defra takes the issue of the smuggling of dogs and puppies seriously. It is an abhorrent trade which causes suffering to the smuggled dogs and puts the health of pets and people in the UK at risk. We are working hard to tackle the problem, targeting both the supply and demand of illegally imported dogs. This approach includes international engagement, enforcement, public communications and tighter regulation. After the UK leaves the EU, the rules will not change immediately for pets entering the UK under the Pet Travel Scheme or commercial import rules. However, looking to the future, leaving the EU will open up new opportunities for managing our own pet travel arrangements, including ensuring there are robust controls on disease and animal welfare. Defra is considering a number of options to deter dog smuggling as part of a long term strategy for pet travel.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that High Speed Two will not affect the bird nesting season.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Wild birds are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which makes it an offence to intentionally kill or injure a bird. High Speed Two must demonstrate how it is ensuring that the project does not affect birds during the nesting season. High Speed Two and its contractors have ecology technical standards, which set out how they will reduce risk if work is needed in the bird breeding season. This includes producing an appropriate working method statement in advance of the work commencing and supervision provided by the Ecological Clerk of Works. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/wild-birds-protection-surveys-and-licences

Home Office

Knives: Crime

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much his Department has spent on tackling knife crime in each year since 2010.

Victoria Atkins: The Government does not keep disaggregated records of funding specifically dedicated to tackling knife crime and it is not possible to differentiate out funding on knife crime from funding allocated to police forces.The Government’s Serious Violence Strategy, published in April 2018, set out a very significant programme of work with an ambitious programme including the following:• An Early Intervention Youth Fund of £22 million• £1.5 million for the anti-knife crime Community Fund• £3.6 million we have provided for the establishment of the new  National County Lines Coordination Centre• £1.4 million to support a new national police capability to tackle gang  related activity on social media • Support to the #knifefree national knife crime media campaign• The Offensive Weapons Bill currently passing through ParliamentIn addition, we are allocating £200 million to a Youth Endowment Fund over the next 10 years, supporting police forces to tackle knife crime under Operation Sceptre, are soon to launch a consultation on anew legal duty to underpin a ‘public health’ approach to tackling serious violence, and have announced an Independent Review of Drug Misuse, to be conducted by Dame Carol Black.On 13 March, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the Spring Statement that there will be £100 million additional funding in 2019/20 to tackle serious violence, including £80m of new funding from the Treasury. The majority of the investment will largely go towards supporting police forces, especially where violent crime is impacting the most. The funding will also support multi-agency Violence Reduction Units in violent crime hotspot areas, and elsewhere. We will prioritise investment in targeted police capacity to tackle serious violence and support for Violence Reduction Units in our Spending Review discussions.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress his Department has made in negotiations with Apple Inc. on the scanning of documents and passports on Apple mobile devices for non-UK EU citizens seeking to apply to remain in the UK after the UK has left the EU.

Caroline Nokes: We have engaged with Apple on this issue at Ministerial and Official level, and we are confident that Apple are taking this issue seriously. We will continue to engage with Apple at senior levels to ensure that this issue stays on their priority list and seek further opportunities to work with them on a technical level to ensure that they understand our specific use case.At present, applicants can attend any of our 13 Chip Checker locations to have their ID document scanned, if they choose to do so. Once the scheme is fully open by 30 March, the app will be optional. There will be over 50 locations across the UK where applicants can have their identity document scanned. Applicants will also be able to post identity documents to the Home Office to be checked and returned quickly.

Knives: Crime

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has made an assessment of the possible merits of implementing Scotland's Violence Reduction Unit strategy in London in order to tackle knife crime.

Victoria Atkins: Tackling serious violence is a top priority for the Government and it is clear we must continue to step up the response to stop this violence. The Serious Violence Strategy sets out the Government’s approach, which depends also on a multi-agency approach across several sectors and stresses the importance of early intervention to tackle the root causes.The Home Secretary announced in October 2018 that the Government will: deliver a new £200 million youth endowment fund over 10 years and will support interventions with children and young people at risk of involvement in crime and violence; conduct an independent review of drug misuse which will ensure law enforcement agencies and policy are targeting and preventing the drug-related causes of violent crime effectively; consult on a new legal duty to support a multi-agency approach to preventing and tackling serious violence.The consultation will explore different options to make multi-agency working more effective than at present and will seek to identify best practice. The consultation will be launched shortly.In addition, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced on 13 March that an additional £100 million funding in 19/20 will help in the police’s immediate response to the rise in serious knife crime, enabling priority forces to immediately begin planning to put in place the additional capacity they need. The funding will also be invested in Violence Reduction Units, bringing together a range of agencies including health, education, social services and others, to develop a multi-agency approach in preventing knife crime altogether.

Immigration Enforcement Directorate: Staff

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department is responsible for recruiting detention gatekeepers; and whether his Department retains oversight and management of detention gatekeepers once they are in post.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what training detention gatekeepers receive on indicators of trafficking or modern slavery.

Caroline Nokes: The Detention Gatekeeper function is part of the Immigration Enforcement Directorate within the Home Office. The recruitment, oversight and management of those staff is consistent with employment of all other Home Office staff as set out in the within the Civil Service recruitment process.All staff within the Detention Gatekeeper function, like all those in the Home Office involved in detained casework, are provided with appropriate training for their roles. This includes, but is not limited to, training around Modern Slavery, the National Referrals Mechanism process and the Adults at Risk in detention policy.

Religious Buildings: Security

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to maintain public safety and security at mosques in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Victoria Atkins: Police continue to protect places of worship as part of their core activity particularly in relation to hate crime. Following the events on Friday in New Zealand local police have increase patrolling and security measures around mosques and other places of worship to enhance safety and reassure the public.Under the 2016 Hate Crime Action Plan we committed £2.4m over three years to provide protective security measure to places of worship who have been victim of or are vulnerable to hate crime attacks. Over the last three years we have awarded funding to just under 50 mosques. In October 2018 we committed to a fourth round of funding of the scheme in 2019/20. We continue to listen to communities to ensure the scheme continues to run as effectively as possible. Protective security advice is provided by the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO), and the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI). NaCTSO have published sector specific protective security advice and guidance for owners and operators of crowded places sites such as places of worship, to allow them to identify key risks and consider what steps to take.Government continues to work closely with community groups, including through counter extremism coordinators in local authority areas to provide reassurance to communities and develop understanding of tensions and issues.

Terrorism: New Zealand

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support his Department is providing to the security services of (a) New Zealand and (b) Australia in connection with the terror attack on two Christchurch mosques on 15 March 2019.

Mr Ben Wallace: We have offered full support to New Zealand during this difficult time. UK Counter Terrorism Police Officers stand ready to support counterparts in New Zealand and Australia in responding to and investigating the attack, should their assistance be needed.

Cabinet Office

Crime

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many reported offences of each crime type there were in (a) Havering and (b) England and Wales in each year since 2010.

Chloe Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Response
(PDF Document, 202.65 KB)

Treasury

Tax Avoidance

John Spellar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the interest rate charged by HMRC is on back taxes incurred through reassessment of loan charge schemes.

Mel Stride: Disguised Remuneration (DR) schemes are contrived arrangements that pay loans in place of ordinary remuneration, with the sole purpose of avoiding income tax and National Insurance contributions. The loans are provided on terms that mean they are not repaid in practice, so they are no different to normal income and are, and always have been, taxable. For both employers and individuals, late payment interest will be applied in the normal way, and is payable at the rates which are published by HMRC, currently 3.25%. However, where people settle with HMRC, and have taken reasonable care, they will not pay any penalties for inaccuracies on their tax returns. The charge on DR loans is expected to raise £3.2bn for the exchequer. The majority, 75%, is expected to come from employers rather than individuals. The best option for those individuals who are worried about the introduction of the charge on Disguised Remuneration loans is to come forward and speak to HMRC as soon as possible. They will work with all individuals to reach a manageable and sustainable payment plan wherever possible. HMRC has put special arrangements in place so that they are able to agree a payment plan of up to five years automatically for those with income below £50,000 and seven years for those with income below £30,000 where those scheme users are no longer engaging in tax avoidance. HMRC may be able to offer a longer payment plan for those that need more than five or seven years, or with income over £50,000, where further information is provided.

Plastics: Waste

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost to the economy of plastic pollution.

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much money his Department has allocated for the reduction of single use plastics.

Robert Jenrick: This government has pledged to ensure that this will be the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than it found it. As part of this, government will introduce a world-leading new tax on plastic packaging, and reform the packaging producer responsibility system so that producers of all packaging materials are responsible for the full costs of managing waste packaging. At Budget 2018, government also announced a £20m innovation fund to tackle single-use plastics. Alongside these measures, government has committed to remove consumer single-use plastics from central government buildings by 2020. Together, these policies form part of the government’s wider strategy on tackling waste, as detailed in the Resources and Waste Strategy published in December 2018.

Recycling: Finance

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much money has been made available to increase recycling from (a) residential waste and (b) trade waste.

Robert Jenrick: The government has committed to increase the recycling of packaging waste and the recyclability of packaging. The recent Resources and Waste Strategy announced that the government would improve recycling rates by ensuring a consistent set of dry recyclable materials is collected from all households and businesses and that every householder and appropriate businesses have a weekly separate food waste collection. For packaging waste, we will invoke the ‘polluter pays’ principle and extended producer responsibility for packaging, ensuring that producers pay the full net costs of managing packaging waste at end of life. Government will also ensure that local authorities are resourced to meet the new net costs arising from policies within the Resources and Waste Strategy.

Tobacco: Smuggling

Toby Perkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when HMRC plans to publish details of the process for retailers to apply for their (a) economic identifier and (b) facilities identifier codes for the Tobacco Track and Trace system; and if he will make a statement.

Robert Jenrick: HM Revenue & Customs has appointed De La Rue as the UK’s ID Issuer for the tobacco track and trace system, which comes into effect on 20 May 2019. De La Rue will publish details of the registration process for retailers before that.

Tobacco: Smuggling

Toby Perkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will extend by 12 months the implementation date of 20 May 2019 for the Tobacco Track and Trace system; and if he will make a statement.

Robert Jenrick: The government remains committed to implementing the tobacco track and trace system and it remains on track to do so by 20 May 2019. It has no plans to delay the implementation.

Coinage

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the commemorative 50 pence coin issued to mark the UK's departure from the EU has been minted.

Robert Jenrick: Currently, no commemorative coins to mark the UK’s departure from the UK have been minted. However, as is standard procedure at The Royal Mint, a small number of trial coins have been produced. The production of trial coins does not incur any cost to the taxpayer.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Citizens' Juries

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress he has made on the implementation of the Innovation in Democracy Programme; and what the timeframe is for the announcement of the successful local authorities.

Mr Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made on the Innovation in Democracy Programme; and what the timescale is for announcing the successful local authorities.

Mims Davies: The Innovation in Democracy Programme is an important part of the Civil Society Strategy announced last year. The successful pilot locations will be announced in due course.

Broadband: Bristol West

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the trends in the level of access to superfast fibre broadband in Bristol West constituency; and what steps he is taking to improve access to that service in the constituency.

Margot James: According to Thinkbroadband, 96.4% of premises in Bristol West constituency have access to superfast broadband. This is up from 93.1% in 2012. Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) have rolled out several schemes to help improve access to broadband services across the UK. Two voucher schemes, the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme (https://gigabitvoucher.culture.gov.uk/) and the Better Broadband Scheme (https://basicbroadband.culture.gov.uk/) are accessible to residents in Bristol West Constituency. In fact the Gigabit Broadband Voucher scheme was rolled out nationally following a successful trial in four areas of the UK, including Bristol.

Creative Europe

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the financial benefit of the EU's Creative Europe programme to the UK creative arts industries.

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department has made an estimate of the cost to the public purse of continuing to participate in the European Union's Creative Europe programme after the UK has left the EU.

Margot James: Creative Europe is a competitive-bid EU fund that supports the cultural and audiovisual sectors. The department has worked closely with the Creative Europe Desk UK to understand the financial benefit of the programme. Their recent report, The Impact of Creative Europe in the UK, concludes that the UK receives an average of €18.4 million a year and we understand that participants enjoy additional benefits such as networking and partnership opportunities. The next generation of EU programmes are due to begin in 2021, and are currently under negotiation in the EU. The UK is exploring continued participation in EU programmes where it is in the EU and UK's mutual interest. The Political Declaration Setting out the Framework for the Future Relationship between the EU and the UK sets out (at paragraph 11) that the UK and EU will establish general principles, terms and conditions for the UK’s participation in Union programmes and that these should include a fair and appropriate financial contribution. Any ongoing participation would need to be value for money for the UK taxpayer.

Terrorism: New Zealand

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to prevent proliferation of videos and documents published by the perpetrator or perpetrators of the terror attack on two Christchurch mosques on 15 March 2019 on (a) print and broadcast media, (b) social media and (c) other internet sites and platforms accessible from the UK.

Margot James: The Government has been clear that tech companies need to act more quickly to remove terrorist content online and ultimately prevent new content being made available to users in the first place. There can be no safe spaces for terrorists to promote and share their extreme views. We are working closely with industry, including through the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism, to encourage them to increase the use of technology to automate the detection and removal of content where possible. The forthcoming Online Harms White Paper will set out a range of legislative and non-legislative measures detailing how we will tackle online harms and setting clear responsibilities for tech companies to keep people safe online.Decisions on broadcasting regulation are a matter for Ofcom, whose Broadcasting Code sets strong standards for material broadcast on television and radio around harmful and offensive material, incitement of crime, disorder, and hatred or abuse. The press is subject to independent self-regulation, primarily through IPSO and Impress. These regulators issue their own codes of conduct which provide guidelines on a range of areas including discrimination, accuracy and the reporting of crime.